Window washer



Aug. 13, 1968 R. A. STARR 3,396,417

' WINDOW WASHER Filed Sept. 12. 1966 IN v5 roe. Emu/n20 H 57-022 MLfM firraeA/sas.

United States Patent 3,396,417 WINDOW WASHER Richard A. Starr, 7938 Mary Ellen Ave., North Hollywood, Calif. 91605 Filed Sept. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 578,773 6 Claims. (Cl. -29) This invention relates to a device for washing windows and more particularly to a portable self-contained window washer machine which includes a liquid dispersing means, a powered rotary scrub brush and a squeegee disposed in an apparatus so as to function together in a cooperative manner.

Prior to this invention there was a need for a portable, easily handled, self-contained, window washing device. The window washing machines that have been previously developed generally were so cumbersome and/so expensive that they were impractical for ordinary usage as window washers. Hence, most windows are cleaned by the rather rudimentary technique of separately applying a cleaning fluid and then with brushes, rags and/ or squeegees wiping the window clean. Since cleaning fluids often dry quickly it is necessary to scrub and dry the window promptly after applying the fluid to avoid leaving streaks. Thus, a person washing windows continually must alternate between applying cleaning fluid, scrubbing the window and drying it. Such a process is somewhat ineflicient and often tiresome.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a selfcontained portable window washing device which is adapted to apply cleaning fluid, scrub and squeegee the window in a continuous coordinated, substantially automatic operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a portable self-contained window washing device which comprises a housing formed with a handle, a cleaning fluid reservoir disposed within the housing with means to selectively pump the fluid from the housing, a motor operated rotary scrub brush extending from the housing adjacent to an outlet for the cleaning fluid, and a squeegee attached to the housing adapted to wipe off applied cleaning fluid.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a window washer embodying this invention, with portions of the internal components being shown by ghost lines;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view partially in section of the window washer of FIGURE 1, with a top portion of a housing removed;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the forward end portion of the device shown in FIGURES l and 2.

Briefly, the embodiment of this invention, as illustrated in the drawings, includes a horizontally flattened, spadeshaped housing 10, formed with a cylindrical handle 12 on one end and carrying a resilient straight bladed squeegee 14 on the opposite end. Projecting from the bottom of housing 10, rearwardly of squeegee 14, is an outlet 16 of a cleaning fluid conduit 18. Extending also from the bottom of housing 10, and disposed slightly to the rear of outlet 16, is a power operated rotary brush 20.

Liquid which is squirted from outlet 16 onto a window which is being washed provides a cleaning fluid for the scrubbing action of brush 20 and wiping of squeegee 14.

In more detail, the housing 10, forward of its handle 12, is hollow and shallow in relation to its width. It is formed with a straight, transverse, forward wall 22, side walls 24a and 24b, which extend back parallel to each other from wall 22 and then converge toward each other "ice into handle 12, a substantially flat top wall 26 (formed with a bulge 26a to conform to a component carried therein) and a substantially flat bottom wall 28 with a forward, centrally located hole 28a, through which a portion of conduit 18 projects, a circular bulging portion 28b to the rear thereof, and a central opening 280 therein, through which a connecting shaft portion of brush 20 projects.

The handle 12, which is formed as a diametrically reduced cylindrical extension of housing 10, is also hollow and has an open rear end 30. Adjacent to the juncture of handle 12 with the rest of housing 10, is a liquid pump 34, with a rearwardly projecting sleeve 34a, which is disposed within handle 12 in a manner to close a portion of handle 12 from the region therein forward of the pump. The sleeve 34a is threaded to 30, and a cap 32 is screwed thereon, providing a substantially sealed, cleaning fluid reservoir 36. Projecting into this reservoir 36 from pump 34 and communicating internally therewith, is an inlet pipe 38 which extends nearly the full length of reservoir 36 and terminates at its open inlet end 38a.

The pump 34 is a conventional, manually operated piston type, which increases pressure in the reservoir 36 to move liquid into the inlet pipe 38. It is provided with an orifice 39 opening into and communicating with the reservoir 36, and a hollow, internal cylindrical portion (not shown) of the pump 34. A reciprocal piston 40, operating in the usual manner against a compression spring, extends out through the side of pump 34, which projects through an opening 42 in handle 12. Communicating with the pump 34, on the opposite side from reservoir 36, is the conduit 18 which extends forward into housing 10, and through hole 28a, so as to terminate at outlet 16 externally of housing 10.

Thus, when liquid cleaning fluid is poured into reservoir 36 and cap 32 is screwed tight thereon, pump 34 can be operated to squirt the cleaning fluid through conduit 18 and from its outlet 16. In use, the window washer is normally held upright, with squeegee 14 at the top, so that cleaning fluid will flow within reservoir 36 to its rear end adjacent to inlet end 38a of pipe 38. Then, by pressing the accessible portion of piston 40, air is forced from the pump through orifice 39 into reservoir 36, which raises the pressure therein and causes an amount of cleaning fluid to be delivered into pipe 38 through its inlet end 38a and to flow therethrough to conduit 18 and from its outlet 16. Upon release of piston 40, it reutrns to its initial outward position. When reservoir 36 is sufliciently filled with cleaning fluid, or when some remains in pipe 38, the device can be actuated to squirt fluid when it is held horizontally or tilted. When the supply of cleaning fluid in reservoir 36 is exhausted, it can be easily refilled by unscrewing cap 32.

Brush 20 comprises a circular base plate 43 from which projects a plurality of bristles 44, with their outer ends 45 in a plane parallel to the base. A driven shaft 46 is secured centrally and normally to the top of base plate 43, and extends into housing 10 through the opening 280. The upper surface of base plate 43 is slightly spaced from a flattened bottom surface on bulge 28b so as to allow free rotatable movement of brush 20. Furthermore, the axis of the shaft is angled relative to the axis of the handle so that the plane of the outer ends 45 of bristles 44 is inclined upwardly and forwardly.

The brush 20 is rotated by an electric motor 50 secured within housing 10. This motor 50 is engaged with driven shaft 46 through a suitable reduction gear box 51. It is powered by batteries 52a, 52b, 52c and 52d, mounted forward of motor 50 within housing 10 and electrically connected thereto 'by circuit wires 54a, 54b and 540. An on-off switch 56, with a slidably mounted contact button 58 projecting through an opening 59 in the side of housing 10, is included in the circuit between wires 54a and 540 to control the operation of motor 50. Although shown as standard cylindrical dry cell type batteries, other portable electrical power sources, such as a rechargeable battery, could be used herein.

Access to the interior of hOllSing is facilitated by splitting the top portion thereof along lines 57 as a separable lid section and securing the latter in position by a quick release screw 60 extending through the top Wall 26 and threadedly engaging in the bottom section of the housing.

A transversely elongated, inverted V-shaped bracket 62 is secured to the lower portion of the front wall 22 of housing 10. To the forward leg of the bracket is attached an elongated squeegee holder 64 including a pair of spaced opposing curved jaws within which the squeegee 14 is mounted in such a manner that the bottom wiping edge 14a of the squeegee is substantially in the same plane as the outer ends 45 of bristles 44. The outlet 16 of conduit 18 is disposed inwardly from a plane extending between the outer ends 45 of the bristles and the wiping edge of the squeegee so that it does not normally touch the surfaces of windows against which brush 20 is pressed.

In operation, the embodiment shown in the drawing is adapted to be gripped by the right hand of a user around its handle 12 so that the thumb of the users hand is adjacent to the piston and his index finger is adjacent to button 58.

The device is pressed against a window which is to be washed so that the outer ends of the bristles 44 and bottom edge 14a of squeegee 14 abut the window. The inclination of the plane in which ends 45 and edge 14a are disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of handle 12 permits a users hand to assume a comfortable position with his wrist bent outwardly when operating the device. In starting at the upper end of a window one or two horizontal sweeps may be made. Thereafter they will ordinarily be vertical. Thus, the front end 22 of housing 10 is up so that squeegee 14 is above outlet 16 of conduit 18 which is, in turn, above brush 20. Cleaning fluid is squirted from outlet 16 by pressing the plunger portion of piston 40 as often as necessary to provide the desired amount. This applied cleaning fluid will run down the Window onto the bristles 44 of brush 20 which has been actuated so as to be rotated by motor through movement of button 58 to close switch 56. The window is thus scrubbed by brush 20 and by moving the device down the window it is automatically wiped clean of fluid by squeegee 14. That is, the device is moved so that handle 12 advances, and brush 20 scrubs a surface Wetted by squirted cleaning fluid which is followed immediately by the wiping action of the squeegee. This avoid streaking. The brush 20 can also be used dry in cases Where dirt or dust is first desired to be loosened from the surface before being wetted.

Although washing windows is thought to be the most appropriate use for this device it may be used on various other surfaces which are preferably relatively flat and hard.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent structures and devices.

What is claimed is:

1. A window washing device comprising a housing provided with a handle, a refillable cleaning fluid reservoir carried by said housing, a fluid outlet line terminating externally of said housing, a manually actuatable means for pumping fluid from said reservoir through said fluid line outlet, :1 brush rotatably mounted externally of said housing and adjacent to said fluid line outlet, an electric motor carried by said housing adapted to rotate said brush,

a source of electrical energy for said motor carried by said housing and a squeegee extending from said housing adjacent to said fluid outlet, a circular brush having bristles with ends terminating in a generally common plane and defining an outer face, the outer face of said brush and the wiping surface of said squeegee lying in the same general plane on the same side of the. housing, and said fluid line outlet being interposed between said brush and squeegee and inwardly toward said housing from a planeextending between the face of the brush and the wiping surface of the squeegee.

2. A window washing device as defined in claim 1, wherein the motor and source of electrical energy are mounted within the housing and the reservoir is within the handle, and the means for pumping fluid includes an actuating element protruding externally from said handle.

3. A window washing device as defined in claim 2, wherein the source of electrical energy comprises a battery in circuit with the motor, and a switch in the circuit mounted within the housing and having a control element extending outside the housing for accessibility.

4. A window washing device as defined in claim 2, wherein the reservoir comprises a cylinder within the handle and having a threaded open rear end, and a threaded cap detachably secured to said end.

5. A window washing device comprising a hollow housing provided with a hollow cylindrical handle extending from one end thereof, a cleaning fluid reservoir disposed within said handle, a closable filling inlet at the rear end of said reservoir opening externally of the handle, a fluid outlet communicating with said reservoir and terminating in an open end externally of said housing, a pump communicating with said reservoir and said fluid outlet and adapted to pump fluid from said reservoir through said fluid outlet, actuating means for said pump accessible externally of said housing, a circular brush having bristles with ends terminating in a generally com mon plane lying farther outwardly from said housing than said open end of said fluid outlet and a driven shaft structurally associated with said bristles, said brush being rotatably mounted by said shaft outside said housing adjacent to said fluid outlet and said shaft extending into said housing, a motor mounted within said housing and drivably engaged with said shaft, a source of electrical energy mounted within said housing and in circuit with said motor, a switch in the circuit having a control element projecting externally of the housing, and a squeegee secured externally to said housing on the same side as said brush and adjacent to said fluid outlet but on the opposite side of the outlet from the brush, said squeegee being formed as a resilient blade with a straight wiping edge which lies in the same general plane as the outer ends of the bristles of said brush.

6. A window washing device as defined in claim 5, wherein the control means for the pump and switch control element for the motor are located closely enough adjacent to be reached by a thumb and finger, respectively, of a single average hand while gripping the handle, and the brush, open end of the fluid outlet and squeegee are aligned so that when the device is moved downwardly or across a surface being washed, the brush scrubs a predetermined portion thereof before being engaged by said squeegee.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,293,678 12/1966 South 15-29 FOREIGN PATENTS 606,234 7/ 1960 Italy. 118,243 1959 U.S.S.R.

EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WINDOW WASHING DEVICE COMPRISING A HOUSING PROVIDED WITH A HANDLE, A REFILLABLE CLEANING FLUID RESERVOIR CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING, A FLUID OUTLET LINE TERMINING EXTERNALLY OF SAID HOUSING, A MANUALLY ACTUATABLE MEANS FOR PUMPING FLUID FROM SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH SAID FLUID LINE OUTLET, A BRUSH ROTATABLY MOUNTED EXTERNALLY OF SAID HOUSING AND ADJACENT TO SAID FLUID LINE OUTLET, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING ADAPTED TO ROTATE SAID BRUSH, A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY FOR SAID MOTOR CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND A SQUEEGEE EXTENDING FROM SAID HOUSING ADJACENT TO SAID FLUID OUTLET, A CIRCULAR BRUSH HAVING BRISTLES WITH ENDS TERMINATING IN A GENERALLY COMMON PLANE AND DEFINING AN OUTER FACE, THE OUTER FACE OF SAID BRUSH AND THE WIPING SURFACE OF SAID SQUEEGEE LYING IN THE SAME GENERAL PLANE ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE HOUSING, AND SAID FLUID LINE OUTLET BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID BRUSH AND SQUEEGEE AND INWARDLY TOWARD SAID HOUSING FROM A PLANE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FACE OF THE BRUSH AND THE WIPING SURFACE OF THE SQUEEGEE. 